Afghanistan

It is clear that this administration is a throw-back
to the days of LSD and love. To the extent that these
are possible, at least love, then let me bring a realistic
assessment to bear which ought not discourage our "dreams"
towards world peace.

What is our strategic objective in Afghanistan.. or anywhere?

Whatever it was before the last administration, ALL strategic
objectives MUST come under review in this one. I have informed
certain friends, that as far as future leadership in America
goes, the trend seems to be one towards isolationism. Why
do we spend taxpayer money in Germany? To be sure, there are
longstanding American engagements that make sense, and these
need to bolstered where appropriate, funded otherwise, and
kept intact. But I think that our adventure in Iraq, championed
by such as me, having achieved the rather "arrogant" but nonetheless
NECESSARY objective of removing Saddam from power, leaves us
no choice but to answer, to our president and those of his
staff that ask, WHY we are in the places we are. Some answers
will come as education to the Great Leader, Hussein, others
will cause him to ask more questions. In the case of Afghanistan,
despite the lack of political will to stabilize the country
in a manner which prevents the resurgence of the threat posed
by a Taliban administration, I insist that the Great Leader,
Hussein, recognize Afghanistan as America's "Last War." It
is not cheap propaganda, though it IS propaganda. When we
say Americas "Last" war what we mean is that, SINCE America
is not engaged seriously on any other front, the mechanisms
for power projection as presided over by the Chief Executive,
to the extent that Mr. President is concerned about peace
and the loss of life of 19 year olds, ought to be addressed
with an view to ensuring that only where America requires
it are our forces engaged. We went into Afghanistan, sir,
to root out the Taliban who had allowed Al Qaida attack
from their sovereign base. We have sent them to the borderlands
and now we wish the Afghans a strong and stable central
government in order to deal, both with the threat of
insurgency, as well as the economic fragility brought
about from years of war. I had the pleasure of listening
to Mr. Karzai speak a few times and I feel he is well
suited to the task, if enough pressure is brought on him,
in much the same way Mr. Obama's pressure, I do now admit,
has allowed Nouri Al Maliki to succeed beyond the dreams
of this here skeptic. It is time, sir, to FORCE
political reconciliation in Afghanistan--not with a role
for "the Taliban" but with a role for "disarmed Taliban
fighters." More to come.
x